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Saturday, July 27, 2013

Continuing on the architecture theme, which is not my intention, this week my choice for B is bridges.

And what better place in the world than the USA for bridges.

When my son was little he was fascinated with bridges so we took pictures of bridges wherever we went.

Here is the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The mists often roll into the bay but we were so lucky. Both the days in San Francisco were sunny and clear.

But it was the Bay bridge that fascinated the kid the most. I wonder why? He didn't have an explanation as to why he liked it so much - he just did! Here it is, taken from outside the military base - Treasure Island exit. I'm banned from posting pictures of my kids, but the smile on his face in this pic was priceless.

The Rainbow bridge at the Niagara Falls spans the Niagara River Gorge, connecting USA and Canada. This picture was taken during an Autumn visit from the Skylon Tower. Not a great day at the Falls, but the colours were beautiful and my son loved the bridge.

New York is the place for bridges and a fascinating city. So here are some bridges in New York.

The George Washington Bridge connects New York and New Jersey across the Hudson River. This pic is taken from Yonkers at dusk. I wasn't sure how this would turn out as I had to zoom quite a bit but it turned out okay.

The Verrazano-Narrows bridge connects Staten Island to Brooklyn and is the longest suspension bridge in the USA. Picture taken from the Staten Island ferry.

And last but definitely not the least is the Tappan Zee Bridge. This is my son's favourite bridge. I remember the first time he saw it, his eyes lit up. It was like he had seen heaven. Pictures taken during a Winter visit to New York.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

We will use a “Kigo” as our prompt. And since it’s the rainy season (at least here in India!) what better prompt can there be! So write a Haiku, with some element of the Rains in it. Your “Kigo” can be anything, clouds, raindrops, frogs, paper boats …. Let your imagination soar!

Saturday, July 6, 2013

It was a stormy, coldnight. The sound of the wind hammering against the house with thunderous force frightened me to the core.

I was in the kitchen bustling about, cleaning up when the lights began to flicker. I stopped what I was doing my heart beating fast. I did not like storms but I liked them even less in darkness. And the kitchen was a mess. I prided myself on atidy and clean kitchen. But as the flickering gave way to darkness, the untidy kitchen would have to take a back seat.

I sat huddled by the fireplace glad for the warmth and little light it gave. But sitting alone in the midst of a storm, your mind starts playing games and imagination begins to run wild. And if you let it get the better of you then those moments can be very long and difficult. I sent a prayer up to Heaven and asked my Lord to be with me.

And then I started to take stock of the situation. Slowly I ticked the essentials in my mind, like ticking the days off a calendar. I had warmth and light from the fireplace, I had my phone charged up and ready should I need to call for help and I had enough food and clean water for a few days should the storm continue. My mind eased a bit and the fear started to subside. There was nothing to do but to wait out the storm.

Music brings joy to my soul, so I reached for my ipod, closed my eyes and listened to the soothing strains of the violins and flute. Then my mind went on a journey to seek the insights of my soul. And as I sat there meditating, I found myself in an exquisite garden seated at the feet of my Lord as he played the music of the cosmos.

The lights came on - hours had passed and I hadn't noticed. I had been given a little time to simply be, to stop and walk away from the daily grind, to break free from the race that we've made of our lives, to experience peace within the fiercest of storms.

Like two sides of a coin every situation presents us with the opportunity to overcome or to wallow, to move forward with courage or to cower in fear, to accept and make the best of the situation or to blame someone else. The responsibility of making that choice lies with us.

The sun rises after each sunset, the day follows the night, the tides ebb and flow, the moon waxes after it wanes, the good times follow the bad ones and the light comes back on after a storm. Life balances out. The storm gave me a chance to unwind, to relax, to balance out.

It showed me that I had the courage to overcome, that some circumstances are beyond our control and to try and change that is futile. It taught me that peace lies within and that when the storms in our life appear, it is our inner peace that gives us the strength to move through it. And it taught me that we are never alone.

It was time to thank the Lord for his grace. After all, all the things I learned in those few hours of darkness, were through his grace and love. And the peace I felt within was knowing He was there by my side at every moment.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

"What should I write?" was the thought that crossed my mind as I opened up a new post and started to blog. So I closed my eyes and let the music fill my soul. It took me to a place somewhere in time ...

I sat by the banks of the river, the name eludes me, all I know is this was the river of love.

Dawn was about to break and in a short while I watched the sun rise magnificently over the horizon and fill the land with a golden glow. It was silent and the earth was awakening. The waters gently lapped the shores, the trees danced in the light cool breeze, the flowers opened up slowly and filled the air with their refreshing fragrance.

This was the moment when peacefulness filled my mind and I soaked in the beauty of the earth.

And then I heard the haunting sound of the flute. Its melody pervaded every corner of my soul. It was intoxicating. I felt transported into another place, another world and for a moment of time, it was as if the universe stood still.

And in this transcendental state I felt the joy in my heart and an overflowing of love in my soul. A moment of indescribable bliss.

The music fades and my fingers tap the keyboard. My garden looks pretty and a cool breeze is blowing. The world looks beautiful but I long to be there again, by the banks of the river of love and hear the haunting melody of the flute.

The light pitter-patter of the raindrops entices me into the garden. I hold out my hands and look Heavenward, my eyes closed, feeling the refreshing water splash softly on my face and palms.

I open my eyes slowly and there in my open palm lies the most beautiful peacock feather. A smile spreads slowly across my face and my joy abounds.

The prompt:So for this week we have this video for you. Listen to it. Hear it with your soul and then let the words flow. We are not looking at a synopsis of the video. No sir. What we want is “Did this song talk to you?” And if it did, what was THAT story? Tell us in about 499 words or less.

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About Me

I dream, because dreams make life worth living. I write to share the insights of my soul. I rhyme because poetry brings me great joy. I photograph to capture a moment in time to remember forever.
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